Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation
Basic Identification
What type of source is it? (newspaper article, map, letter, film, etc.)
When was it created?
Where was it created?
Who created it?
Author’s Intent
What is the author’s place in society? (profession, status, class, gender, ethnicity, etc.)
How might the factors listed in the question above shape the author’s perspective in this source?
Why do you think the author created this source?
Does the author have an argument? If so, what is it?
Who is the intended audience for this source?
How might the intended audience shape the perspective of this source?
Historical Context
Under what specific historical circumstances was this source created?
What larger historical events, processes, or structures might have influenced this text?
Is this source consistent with what you know about the historical record from that time?
Content of the Source
What historical facts do you learn from this source?
What biases or other cultural factors might have shaped the message of this source?
How do the ideas and values in the source differ from the ideas and values of our time?
What historical perspectives are left out of this source?
What questions are left unanswered by this source?
Relevance of the Source
How might this source confirm or contradict issues raised in other primary sources?
How might this source confirm or contradict issues raised in secondary sources?
Do you think this source represent any patterns with other primary sources?